Life After Dark
by Nightquesttarja
Summary: Mike is only eleven and has already lost both of his parents. The loneliness is overwhelming and painful, but perhaps a friendship with four specific animatronic animals might help salvage his lost heart.


**A/N: Animatronics deviate in personality from the game. While all the animatronics from the first game will be featured in this story, Foxy and Freddy will be the main two. From now on, the author's notes will be featured at the end of each chapter, to be read afterward.**

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Dim Lights, and a Spark of Hope

Mike sat at the furthest table away from the stage, watching crestfallen as the other kids cheered and jumped for the three performing animals on stage.

It was his eleventh birthday and as tradition he came to celebrate it at his place of choice: Freddy Fazbear's pizzeria. However, this birthday was much different from all the others… This day he was alone.

It seemed that the months leading up to this day were just a strain of tragic events. First, his mother—whom he had lived alone with for pretty much his entire life—had finally lost her long battle with leukemia. And since his father had been incarcerated in a mental institution a few months after he was born, Mike was forced to move in with his aunt who didn't live too far away. She was…a busy person; always stressed out about having to support him and provide for him while trying to sustain herself. Her schedule oftentimes left him alone in that rickety old home and he would usually take advantage of that opportunity and sneak out.

But even though he had all these new freedoms that most kids his age would kill for, he couldn't ignore the heavy feeling of loneliness that lingered in his chest.

He didn't have any friends in his elementary school, and the old ones from pre-school had forgotten him the instant it had ended.

While his mother always wanted do things with him—when her aliment permitted—he still found himself longing for more… Now that she was gone though, he realized just how much he missed those precious moments with her.

He let out a trembling sigh, closing his eyes as he stared down at the empty tray between his elbows. His mother hated this place, scowling every time it was so much as mentioned. She would always go on about how the animatronics were evil and dangerous, which he never believed.

But she had always loved him enough to put aside her fears once a year to take him to this place. Now though, he'd have to come through those doors alone for his aunt would never do it. And since he was only eleven, he had no money to actually buy anything and instead had to sit from afar and just watch the animatronics perform to the younger ones, pretending it was him they were celebrating.

Mike felt his heart grow heavy at the scene. He wanted so badly to get rid of the horrible loneliness that sat over him. But it was just wishful thinking… No one was going to acknowledge his birthday—his aunt had made that pretty clear earlier when she was yelling at him for sleeping in… Oh how he missed his mother…

He felt his eyes suddenly begin to sting with tears. He knew that if he cried here, in the open, no one would probably notice him. But still he felt self-conscious about it and so he quickly scrambled for the isolation of two tall curtains with an 'Out of Order' sign planted weakly in front. He had no idea what was back there, but it didn't matter. He knew no one would think to check back there and that was just what he wanted.

Pushing his way through the darkness of the run-down stage, he maneuvered his way as far back as the place went. He walked until he reached a cold, concrete wall in the back and pinioned himself between it and a large metallic prop that was shrouded by darkness. Feeling comfortably situated he drew his knees into a hug, resting his head on the right one.

He just sat there for awhile, listening to the music of the animatronics start and cease and start again. He felt like he belonged in this lonely darkness—unwanted and outcast. Not wanting anyone to bother him.

But deep down, he was desperately hoping for just that—for someone to wander back here and find him.

But that didn't happen.

Hours passed and he remained huddled back in this veil of darkness. Eventually he heard the ring of an intercom reverberate throughout the whole place, a flat voice stating that the place was closing for the night. He felt a pang of nervousness surge through him.

 _Now they'll find me!_ He told himself. _They'll check around to make sure everyone is out!_

But time passed and no one came. He held out hope until he heard a door (presumably the front) close and lock. Then as the lights finally turned off and he noticed the glow of the main room fade to dim stage light, he couldn't help the sobs that finally broke free.

Now that no one was here to hear him, there was no use holding back. No one would be there to laugh or to yell at him for wandering back where he shouldn't be. There was nothing—only him and his lost sobs.

A strange sound reached his ears at that moment, like the whirring of an electric drill only softer. Fear crawled through his skin, causing his crying to die down to mere whimpers.

 _What was that?_ He wondered fearfully. Then, out of the thick darkness, two beady white dots flashed down on him, unleashing a torrent of terrified wails from the child as the youth scrambled to push himself further into the corner.

It was a monster! He was alone in the darkened restaurant and there was a monster that was going to get him!

All he could do was cover his eyes and hope that the thing would go away.

"What've we here?" a gruff, sea-weathered voice questioned.

Mike instantly knew it was the monster's voice, because the eyes dropped down just as the words came out, as if the thing had crouched.

The monster spoke again, but it was a gentler voice this time, with hints of astonishment on its breath. "Why, ye be just a—"

"What's going on in there?" a concerned feminine voice suddenly demanded.

That voice; Mike had definitely heard it before! That soft hum of contralto laced with the nurture of motherly excitement—it could belong to no other than the animatronic, Chica.

He had no time to process that the robotic chicken was actually speaking when stage light swiftly flooded the room and laden violet curtains were swung open, revealing both the monster before him and a very concerned looking bear by the entrance.

Upon first glance of the supposed monster, Mike realized it was an animatronic, like the others, with pirate-like attire. But he'd never seen this one before. The fox—as he presumed it to be—had fur that was a deep crimson with a belly of milky white and trousers that were the brown of cinnamon in this light.

He was certainly an older animatronic, judging by the many holes scattered about his torso and legs. But why had he not been fixed up? He was obviously still functional…

He was suddenly drawn right back to reality as he saw the vulpine raise his hook to hush the bear.

"It be just a lad," the fox said softly, staring directly at the boy. "There be no need ta shout."

At the mentioning of 'lad', two animatronics who had been standing just off the stage, perked up. Bonnie and Chica quickly climbed on stage, pushing past their leader to investigate.

"There's a kid back here?" Bonnie asked in astonishment.

Even though he couldn't see the animatronics, he knew exactly who each voice belonged to. An overwhelmed rush of adrenaline pumped through his veins as he heard the sound of heavy clunking steps quicken his way. But a low growl stopped them dead just before they came into view. The fox turned from the boy, holding his hook out threateningly at them, the glare in his eyes warding. "Stay where ye are!" the pirate warned. "The lad's scared 'nuff as it is. Last thin' he needs is a couple landlubbers up on 'im."

"Foxy," Chica groaned, "you can't just keep him here!"

"She's right," a jovial voice interjected, his top hat coming into view just over the top of the replica pirate ship Mike was wedged behind. "Foxy if there's a young one back there, you're gonna have to release him sooner or later."

Mike just listened fearfully as the tears continued to course down his cheeks. He just didn't understand what was happening. Why were the others yelling at the fox to let him go? Was he going to hurt him?

The thought was enough to conjure up the quiet sobs that rocked his body. And he was ready to once again bury his face in his hands, until he saw two curious purple eyes peeking at him from around the corner. It would have been discreet enough for the youth not to notice, had the bunny's two ears not stuck out a mile before.

There was a brief moment of eye contact before the animatronic whirled away, exclaiming: "There _is_ a kid back there! How'd he—" he came back into view, staring at the child again, "How'd you get past the staff?" he asked in genuine intrigue.

Chica elbowed him back, "Leave him alone!" she reprimanded harshly. "That's not what's important right now."

Now she leaned in to glance at him, her soft eyes assuring safety and calming his fear. "Hey little guy," she crooned, "There's no need to cry, okay? We're not going to hurt you."

He sniffled, feeling cradled by her words… it reminded him so much of his mother… Chica was the only animatronic she was actually fond of.

"Where are your parents?" the chicken suddenly asked, tone still soft.

All the side conversations fell silent as everyone turned to listen for the boy's answer. One-by-one, he saw their faces pop up in the narrow opening between the fake ship and the wall.

Overwhelmed he looked at the floor and spoke lowly, "There not here." he said. Thankfully the animatronics were too bulky to fit in this little space to reach him.

"Well yeah, that's kinda obvious." Bonnie remarked, earning a firm cuff to the back of the head by Freddy and two venomous glares from Foxy and Chica.

"Hey, I was just stating facts," the rabbit defended.

They just shook their heads and returned their gazes from the rabbit, back to the child. Freddy spoke up this time. "Would you mind clarifying, son? If your parents aren't here, then where did they go?" he asked calmly.

Mike held his gaze on the floor and opened his mouth as if to speak, but all that escaped was a choked sob and the crying restarted.

Puzzled, the animatronics exchanged glances. Chica tried to approach the boy, but was cut off by Foxy. He just shook his head at her aggravated glare, "Not yet, lass." He said.

Shaking her head, she looked back at the boy. "Listen," she cooed, "your mom and dad won't be mad at you, they—" she trailed off as the boy shook his head violently.

"You…you don't…get it." he managed in between sobs. "My d…dad's at a…a ho…hospital on the hill, and he…he's not allowed to leave…" he tried to wipe away his tears as he continued. "A...and my mom was…she was…sick…and now she's…she's gone."

The animatronics fell silent, realization dawning. Chica tried to make a move for the child which was denied by Foxy who threw his body against the opening to prevent passage. He knew well the avian's tendency to overreact and the last thing they needed was for her to accidentally injure the child in an attempt to comfort him.

"Oh, you poor thing," the chicken crooned, looking vexed by the worn-out fox blocking her path.

Bonnie let out a sympathetic hum, ears drooping slightly, "Man. That really sucks…" he wanted to say more; to say something that didn't sound dumb or insensitive, but nothing came.

Freddy on the other hand, while impacted by the child's story, held a clear mind and surmised that the only way to console the youth would be to actually make contact with him… but the angry animatronic fox in his way was making that impossible.

Foxy growled at them as they began pushing forward, "I told ya to _stay back!_ "

Freddy lightly pulled the other two animatronics away from the fox, not wanting a repeat of the '84 incident. Over the years, Foxy's programming and independent-learning optimization seemed to have led him to develop a rather protective nature, especially around children. And Freddy knew just how aggressive the vulpine could get when he felt a child was in danger.

Holding his hands up in pacifistic gesture, Freddy spoke carefully, "Okay. We're not gonna harm him, you know we'd never do that."

Foxy held his position; the single-eyed glare he was giving was enough to fell an entire forest. "The boy needs space. And ye lubbers be scaring him."

While Freddy knew his words were true, he also detected something else in the fox's eye—'It's been so long; I'm not going to fail a child this time.'

Foxy might not have been the best with children, even before the 'bite', but that didn't mean he didn't still love them. He cherished those youngsters dearly and it pained his synthetic heart to see them all run in teary-eyed fear of him and all his sharp components. Not once had he ever encountered a child that had shown the same interest and love in him as they had in the three other animatronics—the stars of the show.

In truth, it made Freddy feel somewhat guilty to see the sad pirate sitting alone on his stage, watching the children jumping and singing to the songs he, Bonnie, and Chica played. The swashbuckler had always been an optimistic one though, holding out hope that one day his luck would change, and that is why that horrific day in 1987 had been so heartbreaking to witness.

From then on, Freddy and his friends had noticed the loss of hope in the vulpine, the self-hatred, and above all, the loneliness. Before, the fox would at least spend his time preparing; planning vigorously during the night to make the next day the one where the kids would finally take interest in him… ever since the 'bite' all that could be heard from Pirate Cove was woeful silence.

But in this moment the fox was showing signs of optimism again, and it was all because of this child. That was why Freddy had decided not to fight him over this; he wanted to let the fox have his moment, even though the child was obviously terrified of them all. Maybe, just maybe though, it would be enough to reignite the passion once more.

But should the fox snap, he, Bonnie, and Chica would be there to immediately stop it.

Briefly, the fox turned to face the youth whose weeping had subsided somewhat. He crouched so as to be level with the child, spoke softly. "Aye, lad, it be a real shame; what happened to yer parents. But there be no need ta fear us; hurtin' ya would be the last thing we'd ever do... Say, how's about ya let Cap'n Foxy cheer ye up with a nautical tale?"

Mike sniffled, for the first time staring directly at the fox. His eyes—two moon-bright circles—weren't quite as frightening now; seeming warmer and more normal. "You're...you're not gonna kick me out?" he asked warily.

The vulpine nearly jumped back in indignant shock of the question. "Why'n the seven seas would I do that? Ye be but a lad! It's much too dangerous fer a small one like you ta be wanderin' this late."

Mike was shocked by this. He was sure the animatronics would force him to leave because it was after hours, yet it seemed like they wouldn't let him even if he wanted to. It was as if they understood that he had nowhere to go; no parents to care for him, and that he needed to be looked after. And as the minutes wore on, the fox seemed to become less and less scary.

"So lad," the pirate said, "how's about that story?" The desperate hope clutching his voice was evident to the three observing animatronics, and Bonnie averted his eyes in dreadful preparation of the answer.

The boy hesitated, causing the pirate's smile to falter.

"Is it a scary story?" Mike asked warily. "I don't want to be scared."

"I'd never dream 'f scaring ya, laddie," he assured. "Ye've me word; a pirate's oath!"

Slowly Mike nodded, a ghost of a smile creeping onto his youthfully round face. "I saw pirates on TV once," he said, excitement slowly building, "they had a big ship and they were looking for treasure! But I didn't watch it that long because I had to go to school..."

"Treasure, ye say?" Foxy exclaimed in obvious excitement. "Why I've found many a treasure 'n my day; filled to th' brim with th' finest gold any sea dog's ever laid eyes on!"

Mike's eyes welled with awe as he gasped, "You've found treasure!?"

The fox nodded, elated at the child's new-found interest in him. "Aye, lad. And I can tell ye all about them if ya come out from tha corner."

The boy froze, for the first time being pushed to progress. He sent a questioning glance to the three well-known animatronics a few steps behind the fox.

Freddy was the first to nod, saying, "You're as safe with us, as you would be with your parents."

"Please come out, laddie," the fox pleaded, "it'd mean the world ta us!"

He took a small step, then another...another and just as he was about to take the next step, he stopped, staring directly into the fox's eyes. The pirate opened his mouth as if to speak, but was cut off as the boy suddenly launched into him, throwing his arms around the fox in a happy embrace.

Foxy stiffened as the other three animatronics took a horrified step forward. Foxy did not like to be touched, growling at those who came too close. Perhaps it was the fact that so many destructive hands had torn at him and he didn't want to be ravaged any further or maybe...

Suddenly all the dread bated in Freddy's heart vanished as he saw Foxy's arms slowly close around the boy in a somewhat awkward embrace. The boy didn't seem to care though, pressing his face closer into the fur of the fox's chest.

They just watched for awhile, Chica smiling warm-hearted at the scene as Bonnie shifted at the awkward silence. Freddy however couldn't purge the concern from his mind. He could tell that there was more to the boy's situation than he led on to. He seemed...scared. At first he thought it was just because of them, but seeing now the way he clung to the fox... something in the boy's current life wasn't right; something had him scared...and it wasn't the fact that his parents were no longer there for him.

Perhaps it was a cry for help that only Freddy detected, but deep down he felt that the safety of this child was compromised. And he couldn't let that just slip by...but he only had until 6am to work things out.

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 **A/N: I know, I know; I've got other stories to work on, but I just couldn't get this one out of my head. I've really been in the mood to write a hurt/comfort story and these ideas wouldn't leave me alone. I pretty much have this story mapped out and feel pretty excited about it. It'll be a decently long story and will feature Mike growing older. There also might be some elements from canon that I might incorporate into the story.**


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